Nidhi had to grudgingly admit that she was mighty scared of Ashutosh. She couldn’t figure out why. At best he would dismiss her. She would be happy about it. Then why was she scared? There was something in his personality that was terrifying. She could not put her fingers on what it was.

‘Kaise handle karoongi,’ she thought and then hers and Anji’s conversation with Baba from earlier came to her mind. Don’t looks into his eyes, she told herself.

“So, Dr. Verma. Aapki problem kya hai?”

“Meri problem Sir? Mujhe to koi problem nahin hai.”

“Problem nahin hai to aapk itni galtiyan kyon karti rahti hain?”

“Woh Sir. Haan, woh meri problem hai. Kya hai na ki main is profession ke layak hi nahin hoon. Aap mujhe is job se nikaal kyon nahin dete?”

“Woh mera faisla hoga. Waise aap kyon chahti hain ki aapko job se nikaal diya jaye?”

“Sir. Yahan galtiyan nahin kar sakte na.”

“To mat kijiye galtiyan.”

“Lekin Sir. Mujhse galtiyan bahut hoti hain.”

“Theek hai. To woh mera kaam hai dekhna ki aap galtiyan karna chhod dein. Waise…” Ashutosh tried to ignore it, but she had managed to distract him again by her antics, “Aapki aankhon mein koi problem hai?”

“Aankhon mein problem? Nahin to Sir.”

“To aap meri taraf dekh kar baat kyon nahin kar rahi hain.”

“Aisa kuchh nahin hai Sir,” She looked at him for a second, then again started looking elsewhere. She moved her eyes all round and said, “Dekhiye main kahin bhi dekh sakti hoon.”

Ashutosh sighed. Was she trying to play too smart? He would talk to her in her language then. He dialed a number from the landline, “Dr. Fernandes, can you please come to my office for a minute?”

“Aap Dr. Fernandes ko kyon bula rahe hain?”

“Eye surgean hain woh…”

“Jaanti hoon, isliye to poochh rahi hoon.”

“Abhi pata chal jayega.”

Dr. John Fernandes had entered the room by then.

“Yes. Dr. Ashutosh.”

“Dr. Fernandes. Meet Dr. Nidhi Verma. Children’s ward mein intern hain.”

John and Nidhi shook hands and exchanged formalities.

“It seems Dr. Verma thodi problem mein hain apni aankhon ko le kar. Kya aap quick check kar sakte hain?”

“Okay. Sure,” John said in a rather unsure tone. Is that what Ashutosh had called him about, “Lekin machines to examination room mein hain.”

“Woh bhi ho jaayega. Lekin aap ek baar manually check kar lijiye. Ye lijiye – mere paas torch bhi hai.”

John realized that Ashutosh was not really serious about the examination. So, he played along. He used the torch to supposedly examine Nidhi’s eyes and then declared that her eye-sight was perfect.

“Are you sure Dr. Fernandes? Agar surgery wagerah ki zaroorat ho to interns ka ilaaj bhi hamare hospital mein free mein ho jaata hai.”

John suppressed his chuckle and managed to appear serious, “I think iski koi zaroorat nahin hai.”

“Main jaun, Sir?” Nidh was really befuddled by now.

“Yes. In Ward No. 3A.”

“Right Sir.”

“Ye kya ho raha tha Ashutosh?” John asked laughing after Nidhi left.

“Kuchh nahin,” Ashutosh did not join him in his laughter, “Har baar jab naye interns aate hain to koi na koi problem case hota hi hai. She is the one this time.”

“Come on Ashutosh,” Mallika also came into his office just then. She was done with her rounds, “Paanch minute ki deri ke liye tumne subah se use pareshaan kar rakha hai. Interns ke liye koi ICU ya emergency ka patient thode hi na wait kar raha tha.”

“Mallika. Zimmedariyon ka ahsaas abhi se nahin hua to aage bhi nahin hoga.”

John and Mallika exchanged a glance which said that Ashutosh was incorrigible.

—

“Nidhi. Baba ka idea flop tha.”

“I know.”

“How do you know?”

“Maine try kiya na Dr. Ashutosh ke saath.”

“Daddy ke saath bhi work nahin kiya.”

“Main Baba se iska badla loongi. Itna bekaar idea diya unhone.”

“Kya buraiyaan kar rahi ho tum log meri,” Baba interrupted their crib session.

“Baba. Aapne kaha tha na ki agar kissi se dar lage to usse baat karte samay uski aankhon mein nahin dekhna chahiye,” Nidhi sprang out of her bed and came towards Baba.

“Haan.”

“Lekin aapne ye nahin kaha tha ki woh insaan aapki aakhon ka operation bhi karwa sakta hai.”

“Solanki kaise aankhon ka operation karwa sakta hai.”

“Uncle nahin karwa sakte, Dr. Ashutosh to karwa sakte hain na.”

“Ab kya kiya tumhare boss ne.”

“Baba. Rahne dijiye. Ab main sab yaad kar ke apna mood nahin kharaab karna chahti. Aap Anji ki problem solve kijiye.”

“Nahin maana tumhara baap?”

“Aapka idea hi flop tha. Aankhon mein dekho ya na dekho, unhein mujhe darana aata hai. Please chal kar baat kijiye na.”

“Chalo bhai. Tumhari problem bhi nibtate hain. Nidhi to khud hi problem hai. Ab apni beti ko to main nahin nibta sakta.”

“Baba!”

—

The next couple of days passed in relative peace for Nidhi. Ashutosh did not get any chance to scold her. Unknown to her, Ashutosh had been observing her keenly. And he liked what he saw, when she wasn’t making mistakes.

She had a senstivity towards people which as a doctor Ashutosh thought one had to learn to give up. If one keeps getting affected by everyone’s pain, it could easily lead to insanity. It was important to detach oneself from it to be able to cure it professionally and effectively.

But with Nidhi, at least when she was with kids, this sensitivity did not seem to reduce her effectiveness. Kids cried less while taking injections or eating tasteless sick food, because she would often make a game out of these activities for them.

—

Nidhi parked her car in the first free spot she could find in the hospital parking lot. She was already late. Ashutosh would be ready to burst out on her, she was sure of that. As she rushed into the ward, she was relieved to find that Ashutosh himself had not come by then. How did that happen, she wondered. A nurse informed her that he had to visit a patient at home, so he would be coming late to the hospital. Nidhi thanked her stars and started doing her rounds.

Ashutosh was annoyed to see his parking space occupied. He was getting late. A child was to be operated upon and the surgean wanted him to be there during the surgery as he was the one who had admitted the patient. Everything was ready. Surgean had called him to inform that they were waiting only for him.

He parked his car just behind the already parked car and rushed inside the hospital.

—

“Okay. Accepted. Mujhe Dr. Ashutosh to dar lagta hai,” Priyanka had finally made Nidhi give in and everyone clapped when Nidhi announced that.

“Khush?” Nidhi said irritably to Priyanka, “Chal. Ab is khushi mein kahin bahar ja kar dhang ka khana kha kar aate hain.”

“Tu car le kar aayi hai?”

“Haan.”

“To phir chal,” all four interns who were on the duty decided to go out for lunch.

—

“Offo. Ye car kiski hai. Logon ko parking karni nahin aati kya? Aise khadi kar di hai. Ise nikaalenge kaise?”

“Main security se pata karta hoon, kiski car hai,” Abhijeet offered. He came back with a fallen face, “Nidhi. Tumhari kismat kharaab hai.”

“Tumhein bhi Dr. Rangnath ki beemaari lag gayi Abhijeet. Seedhe seedhe bolo kya baat hai.”

“Ye car Dr. Ashutosh ki hai.”

“Kya?” all of then said in chorus.

“Ab kya karein? Chal kar canteen mein hi khate hain,” Priyanka was sad.

“Are nahin. Unki chaabhi maang kar laate hain aur car hata lete hain. Big deal.” Nidhi said.

“Sure? Unse kaun baat karega?”

“Koi bhi kar lega.”

“Nidhi. Tumhari car hai na. Tumhein baat karni chahiye,” Kabir offered a logical resolution.

“Haan haan. Chalo.”

Dr. Ashutosh’ office was connected to Dr. Rangnath’s. But Dr. Rangnath was not there.

“Dr. Rangnath hote to kam se kam ye to pata chalta ki unka mood kaisa hai.”

“Haan. Aaj subah kissi surgery mein gaye the, to ward bhi nahin aaye. Mujhe bhi nahin pata ki kis mood mein hain,” Nidhi said.

“To ab?”

“Ab kya? Jaati hoon andar. Maar thode hi na daalenge,” Nidhi said. But she hesitated once again before knocking, “Maar bhi sakte hain. Unhein kaun rokega.”

“Ab Ja,” Priyanka almost pushed her.

But Ashutosh was not in his cabin.

“Ab kya karein? Bhookh lag rahi hai. Aur jaldi nahin gaye to phir aane mein bhi der ho jayegi.”

“Yaar. Chabhi hi to leni hai. Jaldi se jakar le leti hoon. Car nikaal kar wapas rakh denge.”

“Sure?”

Nidhi decided to go in and asked all of them to keep an eye out. They were to inform her if Dr. Ashutosh was coming in.

To their shock, Ashutosh came in as soon as Nidhi had entered his room.

“Doctors. Aap log yahan kya kar rahe hain?”

“Woh.. kuchh nahin Sir…”

“Kya?”

“Hum Dr. Ashutosh, I mean Dr. Rangnath se milne aaye the.”

“Lekin woh to ward mein hain.”

“Haan… To hum unse ward mein mil lete hain.”

They all went out. Ashutosh wondered why they were behaving so weird and entered his room.

Nidhi had overheard the conversation between Ashutosh and the interns. But it was too late to escape. Not knowing what to do she looked around for a place to hide in. She hadn’t been able to locate one when the door creeked and Ashutosh entered. In a hurry, Nidhi took his coat lying on his chair, hid herself under it and tried to duck under the table. But Ashutosh had already seen her.

“Dr. Verma?” Ashutosh went towards the side of the table where he had seen her ducking. Unaware that while standing he could see her movements, she tried to crawl around the table to avoid him. But he came around and she suddenly found herself crawling in front of him.

With no other option left, she stood up smiling sheepishly.

“Dr. Verma. Aap yahan kya kar rahi hain?”

“Main? Kuchh… kuchh nahin Sir.”

“Mere office mein kuchh nahin karne ke liye bhi ghusne se pahle meri permission leni hoti hai.”

“Yes… Yes Sir.”

“Hadd ho gayi. Mujhe to lagta tha ki aap sirf kaam-chor hain, lekin…”

“Sir!” Nidhi was shocked, “aap mujhe chor samajh rahe hain. Dekhiye mere paas kuchh nahin hai… Main to…”

“Mujhe kuchh nahin dekhna hai. Aur main aapko chor nahin badtameez kah raha tha. Manners kahan chale gaye hain aapke?”

“Sir. Aap aise kyon kah rahe hain?” Nidhi also became offensive, “Aapki car meri car ke peechhe khadi thi. Mujhe nikaalni thi. Main bas aapki keys lene aayi thi. Main kya karti? Aap the nahin cabin mein.”

“Achchha. To woh aapki car thi. Dr. Nidhi Verma, aapko pata hai ki Junior doctors ke liye parking space alag se designated hai.”

Nidhi stuck her tongue out as she realized that she might have encroached upon Ashutosh’ designated parking spot. Her mistake again!

“Yes Sir. Sorry Sir.”

“Dhyaan rakhiyega aage se. Ye lijiye chabhi. Gaadi nikaliye aur apni gaadi sahi jagah park kijiye.”

“Yes Sir.”

“Out Now.”

“Yes Sir.” Nidhi started going out.

“Suniye.”

Nidhi turned back all scared, “Ye coat aapko fit nahin aa raha.” Nidhi had forgotten all about the coat that was still on her shoulders. She smiled sheepishly again and fumbling with the keys, her handbag, her own doctor’s coat and his coat, finally managed to put his coat back on the table.

Ashutosh frowned as she did that. But after she left, he could not help a slight smile. ‘Pagal hai ye ladki,’ he thought to himself.

—

To be continued